China's soybean imports rose by 14.9% on an annual basis in March, but they came in much lower than analyst expectations, amid delays in shipments arriving from Brazil as a result of tightened inspection procedures related to contamination.

Data from the General Administration of Customs showed that total imports reached 4.02 million metric tons, compared to 3.5 million tons in the same period last year.

An analyst at Shanghai JC Intelligence, Rosa Wang, said that expectations were pointing to about 6.4 million tons, but imports were affected by the delay of Brazilian shipments due to tightened phytosanitary inspections, amid concerns over the presence of contaminants in some shipments.

The data indicated that imports rose on an annual basis supported by a low base, as last year's imports were affected by the decline in China's purchases of U.S. soybeans and the delay of the Brazilian harvest.

Trade sources indicate that China intensified inspections after spotting cases of shipments containing pesticides and fungi, in addition to heat damage and the presence of live insects.

During the period from January to March, China's imports reached 16.58 million tons, a decrease of 3.1% compared to 17.11 million tons in the same period last year.

Imports are expected to rise again during the coming months with the arrival of more U.S. shipments and Brazil's record crop at Chinese ports.

Agricultural researcher at Guoyuan Futures, Liu Jinlu, said that imports may exceed 10 million tons per month during the period from April to June, with close monitoring of weather conditions in the U.S. soybean planting season and the potential for any logistical disruptions.

He added that stable demand from the livestock sector is likely to support prices, which may keep them within a limited trading range with wide fluctuations.

Traders are also awaiting an anticipated summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping next May to obtain signals regarding the future of Chinese demand for U.S. soybeans, in light of trade tensions that had previously delayed China's purchases of the American autumn crop until last October.

On the trading front, soybean futures for May delivery fell by 0.4% to $11.58 per bushel.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is heading toward becoming one of the largest listed companies in the world by market value, as it prepares for a potential initial public offering (IPO) on the stock exchange.

Reports said that the company, which develops rockets and space exploration technologies and operates the Starlink communications satellite network, has secretly filed a document with U.S. regulators to take its shares public, in a move that paves the way for its listing on the stock market.

The value of SpaceX is expected to exceed $1 trillion upon listing, which could put the stake of its founder, Elon Musk, on a path to make him the first person in the world whose fortune exceeds this figure.

According to reports carried by media outlets including Bloomberg, Reuters, and the New York Times, the company aims to offer its shares in the market during next June, with the possibility of raising at least $50 billion through the offering.

The secret file submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission allows companies to proceed with an offering without immediate disclosure of financial details to the public, while the process is subject to review by regulatory authorities.

Company officials are expected to begin a roadshow with major investors to present the company’s plans and attract them to subscribe to the shares.

This move comes at a time when SpaceX is expanding rapidly, as its operations have come to include rocket launches and the operation of the Starlink network, which provides satellite internet around the world.

Reports also indicate that the company has become more closely linked to Elon Musk’s other projects, after the AI company xAI was merged into its structure, in a move that contributed to raising the internal valuation of the company to about $1.25 trillion.

At the same time, Musk’s other companies have become more interconnected, as xAI acquired the X platform (formerly Twitter) last year, while Tesla invested more than two billion dollars in xAI, with the integration of “Grok” AI technologies into some of its cars.

Analysts believe that the merger of these companies may help reduce costs and enhance resource sharing among Musk’s various projects, at a time when expansion plans in artificial intelligence and infrastructure require huge investments in computing and energy.

SpaceX seeks to fund its massive expansions, including the development of reusable rockets and the expansion of the Starlink network, along with future projects such as data centers in space and Mars colonization projects, although experts doubt the possibility of achieving some of these ambitions.

Elon Musk may return to Instagram and TikTok as the SpaceX public offering approaches

Businessman Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and founder of SpaceX, may reopen his accounts on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, in a potential shift from his previous positions toward these platforms.

According to reports, Musk, who was highly critical of platforms like Instagram and Facebook, and even previously deleted official accounts linked to his companies, may reconsider his position as the expected initial public offering of SpaceX on the stock exchange approaches.

Reports indicate that this potential move may be linked to Musk’s desire to expand the circle of access to investors and the public, as part of the preparation for the public offering, which is expected to be among the largest in the technology sector.

Musk had previously described Instagram as encouraging what he called a “culture of vanity photos,” and criticized the nature of content on it, but he also admitted to having a secret account on the platform to use links and follow content.

These developments come at a time of increasing expectations regarding the offering of SpaceX, which is one of the most valuable companies in the world, with estimates that the offering could raise tens of billions of dollars from investors.

Analysts believe that any expansion in Musk’s activity on platforms like Instagram and TikTok could be part of a broader marketing strategy aimed at enhancing public interest in the offering and increasing momentum around the company before its listing in the markets.

While no official confirmation has been issued by Musk or his two companies regarding this move, his media and commercial moves are often closely linked to his investment and expansion plans, making this possibility a subject of wide follow-up from investors and analysts.

Copper prices rose to a six-week high on Tuesday, driven by investor optimism regarding the potential resumption of peace talks between the United States and Iran, alongside a decline in the dollar.

The benchmark three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange (LME) rose by 0.7% to reach $13,140 per metric ton in official session trading, after touching its highest level since March 3 at $13,210.50.

Sources told Reuters that negotiating teams from the United States and Iran may return to Islamabad this week to resume talks aimed at ending the war.

Ewa Manthey, commodities strategist at ING Bank, said: "Optimism that the United States and Iran may resume peace talks is helping to reverse some of the pressures metals have recently faced due to concerns over rising energy costs and slowing economic growth."

She added: "But the market remains highly sensitive to news. Any escalation in the conflict, a new spike in energy prices, or signs of weak demand could quickly undermine sentiment."

The most-traded copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange also rose by 2.1% to close at 101,190 yuan per ton.

The weakness of the dollar, which is trading near its lowest levels since March 2, contributed to supporting prices, as it makes dollar-denominated commodities cheaper for buyers with other currencies.

Copper, used in construction, power, and industry, also received additional support from concerns that rising energy prices resulting from the Middle East war will raise overall costs. The war has already led to an increase in costs for Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, by about 10 cents per pound, and Antofagasta has warned of rising fuel and input costs.

Analyst Sudakshina Unnikrishnan from Standard Chartered Bank said that "mine supplies remain constrained, with weak copper production in Chile during 2026 so far."

In other metal markets, nickel rose by 1.4% to $17,945 per ton, the highest level since February 27, while aluminum fell by 1.2%, zinc rose by 0.2%, lead by 0.3%, and tin jumped by 2.8%.

Bitcoin jumped to its highest level in a month, exceeding $74,000 on Tuesday, recovering from weekend losses, supported by improved risk appetite and falling oil prices, which supported the broader financial markets.

The world's largest digital currency was trading up 4.7% at $74,193.7 by 01:58 AM US Eastern Time, approaching mid-March levels again, before the escalation of the conflict with Iran.

This rise came amid a broader rally in high-risk assets, as U.S. stocks recorded strong gains on Monday, with the S&P 500 rising by more than 1%, while the Nasdaq climbed as investors flocked to technology stocks supported by continued optimism regarding AI demand.

Asian markets also rose in early Tuesday trading, in a sign of improving overall investor sentiment globally.

Cryptocurrency markets received additional support from oil prices falling below $100 per barrel after a sharp rally, which boosted demand for high-risk assets.

Signs of continuing diplomatic channels between the United States and Iran also contributed to calming the markets, despite the failure of weekend talks to achieve a breakthrough. Reports indicated that both sides are considering holding a new round of talks in the coming days, aimed at extending the fragile ceasefire.

This diplomatic movement comes at a time when tensions remain high, with the United States imposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports and Tehran warning of a response.

Short covering operations also contributed to supporting the rise, as traders closed their bearish bets as prices rose, which reinforced the upward momentum.

In a related context, Nasdaq-listed company MicroStrategy (MSTR) announced that it purchased 13,927 Bitcoin units worth approximately $1 billion over the past week, funded partly by the sale of preferred shares.

The company explained that it sold about 10.03 million shares of its variable-yield Class A perpetual preferred stock, achieving net proceeds of approximately $1 billion, which were used to purchase Bitcoin at an average price of about $71,902 per unit.

After this transaction, the company's holdings rose to 780,897 Bitcoin, at a total cost of $59.02 billion.

Regarding other digital currencies, Ethereum, the second largest cryptocurrency, recorded a jump of 8% to reach $2,361.92, while Ripple rose by 3.6% to $1.36.